‘Horrified’ at Sidewalk Gun Sale

After the tragic shooting of the school children in Stockton, I found myself seriously questioning the sanity of a society where people line up to buy the type of weapon used in the shooting and (where) gun dealers brag about selling out of these deadly weapons and having to order additional shipments.

Now I read that a sidewalk sale of these assault weapons was held in Pasadena (Times, Feb. 16). As a resident of that city, I am horrified.

So this is what our “civilized” society is coming to? Surely this kind of situation would not be tolerated in any other country. Can you imagine sidewalk sales of assault weapons in London or Paris, Rome or Tokyo? But little Pasadena is going to set an example for the world of what real freedom is--the right to buy something for which there is no use but murder!

I realize there are gun collectors who probably don’t intend to use the guns. However, at the risk of sounding paranoid, I must admit I sure wouldn’t like to live next door to someone who is heavily into collecting assault rifles.

I suggest that before we start having weekly sidewalk sales of semiautomatic weapons, the concerned, responsible citizens of Pasadena get the message to their city officials that we won’t tolerate such a situation.

By passing the buck and saying that states, not cities, should be responsible for banning the sale and possession of semiautomatic weapons, our city officials are catering to the greedy gun dealers who don’t care where or to whom they sell their deadly goods.

Until such time as state (and hopefully federal) legislation is enacted, let’s pass municipal legislation banning semiautomatic weapons. Let’s also notify our representatives and senators in Sacramento and in Washington that we’ve had enough of this barbarity disguised as freedom.

One of our basic freedoms is the right to live without fear, and I feel that in a society that condones sidewalk sales of assault rifles I’m being denied that freedom.

CONNIE HASKELL

Pasadena

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